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We Need Not Be Separated From God!

“Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:”-Isaiah 59:1

How comforting this verse is! No matter how difficult the times we live in become, God will Save us 🙂

Isaiah 59:2 goes on to say:

“But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.”

While our sins may indeed separate us from God, Jesus has made a way for us to be forgiven and repent.

We need not be separated from God. It’s our choice, given to us by God Himself 🙂

Prepare, Pray & Be Ready 🙂

Be Not Afraid In Times Of Darkness

Elijah Proclaims a Drought

” And Elijah the Tishbite, of the inhabitants of Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word.” Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “Get away from here and turn eastward, and hide by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan. And it will be that you shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.””-1 Kings 1-4

For just a moment, picture what this was like. Everywhere one looked, there was a drought. And a drought back then had a much greater effect than it does now. Back then, a drought could easily mean no food and no water! (now, in the United States we often just get it somewhere else). But can you imagine, looking all around, with hungry children to feed, and there was no where to get food or water! It must have been quite frightening.

Today, we look around and often feel surrounded by darkness. We look to our Lord and see the light, but the darkness that appears to surround us, does worry us, but there is Hope for us. It is written in God’s Word:

“‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”-Matthew 4:4

God’s got us! We need not fear! And these passages remind us that God does take care of His people. Who are His people? Those who accept His Son Jesus as their Savior 🙂

Prepare, Pray & Be Ready!

“Prophecy Against The Shepherds Of Israel”

“The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy, and say to them, even to the shepherds, Thus says the Lord God: Ah, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding yourselves! Should not shepherds feed the sheep? ³You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fat ones, but you do not feed the sheep. Theweak you have not strengthened, the sick you have not healed, the injured you have not bound up, the strayed you have not brought back, the lost you have not sought, and with force and harshness you have ruled them. ⁵So they were scattered, because there was no shepherd, and they became food for all the wild beasts. My sheep were scattered; ⁶they wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. My sheep were scattered over all the face of the earth, with none to search or seek for them.”

“Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: ⁸As I live, declares the Lord God, surely because my sheep have become a prey, and my sheep have become food for all the wild beasts, since there was no shepherd, and because my shepherds have not searched for my sheep, but the shepherds have fed themselves, and have not fed my sheep, ⁹therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: ¹⁰Thus says the Lord God, Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will require my sheep at their hand and put a stop to their feeding the sheep. No longer shall the shepherds feed themselves. I will rescue my sheep from their mouths, that they may not be food for them.”-Ezekiel 34:1-10

Today, many Pastors and Priests teach their “flock” not what the Bible says, but what the people wish it said:

“For there will come a time when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, because they have itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in line with their own desires.”=2 Timothy 4:3

Prepare, Pray & Be Ready!

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Warn The Wicked & Save Your Soul!

“Nevertheless if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul. Therefore you, O son of man, say to the house of Israel: ‘Thus you say, “If our transgressions and our sins lie upon us, and we pine away in them, how can we then live?” ’Say to them: ‘As I live,’ says the Lord God, ‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?’”-Ezekiel 33: 9-11

It’s always difficult to tell someone, anyone, that they are heading in the wrong direction. But the truth is, if we truly love them as God has commanded-we will.

“Love Thy Neighbor” means being Honest with them!

Prepare, Pray & Be Ready!

God Is Always Fair!

“Yet the children of your people say, ‘The way of the Lord is not fair.’ But it is their way which is not fair! ¹⁸When the righteous turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, he shall die because of it. ¹⁹But when the wicked turns from his wickedness and does what is lawful and right, he shall live because of it. ²⁰Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not fair.’ O house of Israel, I will judge every one of you according to his own ways.”- Ezekiel 33:17-20

God is always Fair. There are many who will cry out against God’s Justice, but we each had a chance to make our own choices, and we made them. Some made Godly choices and some did not. But we have each been free to make our own choices. And the consequences for those choices will be Fair, for God is always Fair!

The Bible clearly tells us what our “Roadmap” should be for this life. And the Bible clearly defines which behaviors are righteous and which are not. And as if that were not enough, the Holy Spirit is with us and tells us as well!

And not only does the Holy Spirit tell us; the Holy Spirit Helps us! 🙂

So please, ask Jesus to be your Savior today! Let the Holy Spirit Help you. And start your walk on the Bridge Jesus Built Home 🙂

Prepare, Pray & Be Ready!

Accept Jesus As Savior & Repent While There Is Still Time!

“But Omri wrought evil in the eyes of the Lord, and did worse than all that were before him. For he walked in all the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and in his sin wherewith he made Israel to sin, to provoke the Lord God of Israel to anger with their vanities.” – 1 Kings 16: 25-26

There is no doubt there there are some who are “provoking” God’s people to sin. While Jesus made a bridge for us to be reunited with God, a path if you will, that doesn’t mean that we can sin with impunity!

“For our transgressions are multiplied before thee, and our sins testify against us: for our transgressions are with us; and as for our iniquities, we know them;”-Isaiah 59:12

It is true that with accepting Jesus as our Savior and true repentance, we are forgiven for our sins. In fact, they are as far as the “east is from the west”. However, notice that forgiveness requires that we accept Jesus as our Savior and that true forgiveness also requires true repentance.

So please, accept Jesus as your Savior today and truly repent while there is still time!

For we know not ” the day or the hour” of Jesus’ Return!

Prepare, Pray & Be Ready!

An Inconvenient Truth!

A good friend wrote this. It was so good; I just have to share 🙂

“God’s Word shares with you that Jesus said, “I AM the Way, and the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also.”(John 14:6)

Know that we come to the final attribute of God to be covered in our brief examination of His Character. Jesus equates Himself with ” the Truth” and since Christ IS Lord over all, we understand that Truth IS fundamental to His Divine Nature.

Scripture repeatedly teaches the sanctity of truth. The evil one is called a “liar” and the “father of lies”, showing you that the opposite of what IS True is not holy. Truth is described as the sum of your Creator’s Word, and reminds us of how the Lord draws near only to those who call upon Him in truth. Jesus tells us it is better not to swear an oath at all if you have no intent to keep it. Truth IS not only to be believed in but also an action to be performed. Truly, it IS SO easy to falsely claim to know the truth but not live it out.

Truth IS also something that you do, and we are not faithful to the Lord if we are not concerned to walk in His True Way. This does not mean that we are perfect in obedience, but it DOES mean that you repent whenever you find yourself living contrary to His Standards.

Truth IS that which conforms to reality. Though we may not accurately perceive or understand the Real Truth at times, the same does NOT apply to the Almighty. Therefore, truth IS that which conforms to be real as it is perceived by God. He knows ALL things, and SO we can trust anything He reveals to you in Scripture, through His Holy Spirit. Truth IS not defined by your own standards – it IS determined by the Source of Truth Himself.

Truth IS like a mirror – it reflects exactly what it sees. Sometimes it is inconvenient because the reflection is not what you want to see. Your Heavenly Father crosses your path with those whom become a mirror for you. They become that reflection for you to be able to see yourself. Then, it IS up to you if what you are looking at is acceptable or not. Either way, an action IS needed to be performed. That is your personal choice – not anyone else. Thank God that He IS there ALWAYS to help you – on the Way, and the Truth, and the Life.

My thoughts and prayers are that you seek God’s Truth. That when your reflection is inconvenient, that your action IS to seek His Face – to accept Jesus and His Blood that was shed for you. That you walk in His True Way, now and forever. In Jesus’ Name. Thy Will be done. Amen. Peace.”

Prepare, Pray & Be Ready 🙂

True Forgiveness Is Hard!

“And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us” -Matthew 6:12

I am so grateful that Jesus gave us this prayer, because I sometimes struggle with this. Deciding to forgive someone feels relatively easy, but forgiving as God forgive us seems so much harder!

“As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.” -Psalm 103:12

This Bible verse is what I struggle with. I have sometimes decided to forgive someone (after all God forgives me :). But then I take it back! I start thinking of how much that person hurt me, and yet when God forgives our “transgressions”, our “transgressions“ become “as far as the “east is from the west”.

So what I really do sometimes I think, is I forgive someone, but then I take it back. As my friend often says, I am not Christian because I am so perfect, but because I need Help :).

And so when forgiveness is a struggle, I simply ask God for Help 🙂

Prepare, Pray & Be Ready…

A Huge Mess!

A good friend of mine sent this devotion. It was so good, just had to share 🙂

Once upon a time, there was a child, who was 6 years old, who wanted his parent to take them to the store to “help” go shopping. The child knew that there was a good chance they would stop at the place next to the store and get their favorite drink – a “Slushee”.

As expected, the parent asked the child if they would like to go to the place next to the store. The child replied, “Oh, Yes!!”. They both got something and of course the child requested a “Slushee”. They both sat down at a table and wouldn’t you know – the child accidentally spilled their drink. We are talking blue and red goop all over the floor, the table – everywhere!

The child looked up at their parent and immediately apologized. Instead of getting angry, the parent said, “Hey, it happens. Let’s go get napkins and I can show you how to clean it up.” Then they calmly went to get napkins and then helped the child clean the entire mess. As they were throwing the napkins ways, the parent said to the child, “You’re going to be a human being for probably some time, and you have such a smart brain that it’s important you learn how to be more careful of what you’re doing. So next time, just be sure to pay more attention to your surroundings – so accidents like this don’t happen.

Accidents like these can be prevented, but it’s still okay if they happen. As long as you take responsibility for your mistakes, the clean up is a breeze. I know big messes seem overwhelming and you might feel like you can’t do it by yourself – it’s okay to ask for help. There is no problem with asking for help when you need it.”

Truly, God’s Children on this earth are born into human nature, which sometimes creates a huge mess. Your Heavenly Father knows this and even helps to guide you around those surroundings, that creates these. He lovingly still gives you a choice – whether to follow His Direction or to create a big mess on your own – all over you and even sometimes all over those around you. He also gives you His Word to help you prevent such problems you may encounter. The best you can do IS really try to follow His Voice in His Will and Purpose for you. When you make mistakes, take responsibility for them – ask your Father to forgive you. Even when they seem overwhelming to you, that you just can’t cope with it all – ask for His Help. He may even send one of His to help you clean up your mess. He IS SO Good like that!

My thoughts and prayers are that you do your best not to make a mess of your life. If you do sometimes, that you not hesitate to ask for your Heavenly Father’s help to wipe away your mess with His Living Water. That especially when you are overwhelmed with the world, that you give yourself to Him and thank Him for helping you. It’s okay to ask for help. In Jesus’ Name. Thy Will be done. Amen. Peace.

Prepare, Pray & Be Ready…

Where Is Our Hope?

“Where is the hope? I meet millions who tell me that they feel demoralized by the decay around us”

“Where is the hope? The hope that each of us have Is not in who governs us or what laws are passed or Or what great things that we do as a nation“

“Our hope is in the power of God working through the hearts of people“

“And that’s where our hope is in this country. That’s where our hope is in life“-Chuck Colson

Our God is not a distant God. He walks with us through each day because He loves us. And despite what many news headlines yell at us, we are never alone! God is always with us 🙂

God answers prayers on earth, because we are in need on earth and He loves us. They can be prayers for working through they day, prayers for a loved one who is sick, a friend who faces a challenging circumstance. Prayers for food and housing. Prayers for a job…” The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” – John 10:10

In the end, this world will matter not at all, for we will be in Heaven with our Father. Jesus and the Holy Spirit. There will be no more pain, no more fatigue and no more worry and fear. There will be only joy and peace. New adventures and unending time with those we love. Deep hugs, gardens, a river, mountains…. More than we could ever dream! A happiness so complete and so unending; it is indescribable 🙂

And God’s light will always be with us and because we will have heavenly eyes we will see His light even more clearly. We will sit at Jesus’ feet and listen to him with joy. And we will be able to thank the Holy Spirit in person :). And this time in Heaven, unlike our time on earth, will last forever 🙂

Prepare, Pray & Be Ready…